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I just got sued for patent infringement for operating the voo2do.com todo list

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Re: I just got sued for patent infringement for operating the voo2do.com todo list

#11

Post by LogicHoleFlaw »

henning wrote: post #5
tonystubblebine wrote: post #4

Another subtopic: What's CI's potential return on investment in this round of lawsuits? What is the cost of filing a patent? What is the cost of bringing a patent lawsuit? What percentage of small companies settle? And for how much? I look at a company like Remember The Milk and wonder how much they could possibly afford to pay. A quick back of the envelope calculation based on compete.com, 170k visitors/month. Let's…

A patent is much more valuable if it's upheld in court. I thought that was the idea behind patent trolling: get a bullshit patent, go after a bunch of little guys, try some kind of divide and conquer strategy with them, hope you win and get your bullshit patent upheld. Your patent is now much stronger and more dangerous. Congratulations, you're a litigious douchebag.

I just hope to high heaven that we see more responses like the following:

http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/blue-jeans-str...

Re: I just got sued for patent infringement for operating the voo2do.com todo list

#12

Post by dominik »

shimon wrote: post #6
tonystubblebine wrote: post #4

Another subtopic: What's CI's potential return on investment in this round of lawsuits? What is the cost of filing a patent? What is the cost of bringing a patent lawsuit? What percentage of small companies settle? And for how much? I look at a company like Remember The Milk and wonder how much they could possibly afford to pay. A quick back of the envelope calculation based on compete.com, 170k visitors/month. Let's…

One possibility, and this is just speculation, and I am not a lawyer, is that CI is targeting a number of small players in the hope that we will settle or lose, thereby providing some precedent that their patent has succeeded in litigation. They could then point at our pile of bodies when threatening companies that actually have money.

I'd say that sounds like accurate speculation, but IANAL.

Re: I just got sued for patent infringement for operating the voo2do.com todo list

#13

Post by chaostheory »

I really hate hearing about jerks like this...

there's something that can help us fight patent trolling: http://www.peertopatent.org/

It's a USPTO pilot project that let's the public review and give feedback to some current patent applications. I'm sure this will help cut some bogus patent claims if people just participate.

Re: I just got sued for patent infringement for operating the voo2do.com todo list

#14

Post by micks56 »

Have you been served yet? You will want a lawyer right away, since the time allowed to respond starts ticking at service.

Where are you incorporated, if at all? If you are not incorporated in Delaware, do you have customers in Delaware? If not, did you advertise for customers in Delaware?

I read the filing. The person that filed it is really stretching to get Delaware as the place for all the suits. I don't think that many of these companies will be forced to litigate in Delaware. You are included in that assessment.

I am not a lawyer, but I am a second year law student. If you want more information, post here or feel free to send me an email. I relatively near you in Mass, too.

Re: I just got sued for patent infringement for operating the voo2do.com todo list

#16

Post by gm »

Suggestions:

1) Talk to others who got sued, form a single group, hire a lawyer, and fight like hell

2) Talk to others who got sued, and as a group, talk to Amazon and all the other who are big and did not get sued, and cooperate to get a declaratory judgment with the "sponsorship" of the big fish that did not get sued.

This is all about grabbing the low-hanging fruit to go after the people than can defend themselves well. The natural defense is to undo that advantage of the plaintiff.

Everyone knows it's a bogus patent, don't be foolish enough to fall for the trick. Unite.

Re: I just got sued for patent infringement for operating the voo2do.com todo list

#17

Post by micks56 »

shimon wrote: post #6
tonystubblebine wrote: post #4

Another subtopic: What's CI's potential return on investment in this round of lawsuits? What is the cost of filing a patent? What is the cost of bringing a patent lawsuit? What percentage of small companies settle? And for how much? I look at a company like Remember The Milk and wonder how much they could possibly afford to pay. A quick back of the envelope calculation based on compete.com, 170k visitors/month. Let's…

One possibility, and this is just speculation, and I am not a lawyer, is that CI is targeting a number of small players in the hope that we will settle or lose, thereby providing some precedent that their patent has succeeded in litigation. They could then point at our pile of bodies when threatening companies that actually have money.

Exactly. A key issue in trials is what facts can be re-litigated at later trials.

If you and/or the other defendants don't litigate the validity of the patent well and lose that issue, future parties are barred from re-litigating that issue.

A strategy of a small guy is to try and bring in a large guy to litigate an issue that will be very important to them in the future (i.e. eBay, Amazon, or whoever else may be infringing the patent).

Re: I just got sued for patent infringement for operating the voo2do.com todo list

#19

Post by hb »

shimon wrote: post #7
dominik wrote: post #3

Ack! Best of luck deflecting the lawsuit. Hopefully it won't be too hard, as there are so many other defendants. Lawsuits like this make me glad I'm a law student, so I can graduate and fight against them. voo2do is a great service; I used it quite extensively two years ago.

Thanks, man! I don't think they can win a royalty on kind words, which has been my biggest payoff from Voo2do.

This is off the topic, but please keep passwords encrypted.
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